A Rose Comes with Thorns
by HarleyRulez
Summary: She was a striper. It prepared her to do what she needed to survive. After surviving on her own for months, she wanted to live again. That was when he found her. And slowly they made each other feel alive in a world full of death. They fight and love. Everything beautiful has a price.
1. Chapter 1

I may have had a sucky job when the world went to shit, but it did, in ways, prepare me for it. I was physically fit. I could read people like an open book. I was solid in my self-defense class. I was a striper. Being a stripper was definitely not my dream job, but it paid the bills and my college tuition.

I left Atlanta long before it fell. When the military men at the base started getting jumpy, I left. If there was one thing I knew, it was to stay away from nervous men with big guns. I'd been on my own for years before the apocalypse. It had served me well then, why not now?

Hell I almost got shot trying to get out.

A bell had gone off in my head that morning. People had begun to get short with others. I watched a father snap at his little girl for crying. I could see the shock in his eyes after he said it. I knew the thoughts going through his head. He thought about how he had never said things like that to his family before. The little girl just cried harder and ran back inside. I didn't want to see people lie that man fall apart. It was time to move on.

That night, I was approaching the high fence when a shot rang out beside my head.

"Holy Shit!" I spat out, pivoting to see who had almost decapitated me.

A young man stood ten feet behind me, holding a smoking pistol. The man couldn't have been much older than twenty-one. He wore the usual military cameo and a stunned expression.

"Give me that, you idiot!" I hissed at him.

The fact that he stood there in shock, as I walked quickly toward him and yanked the firearm out of his hand, told me he understood that he almost killed a human being. I didn't have the patients to make him feel better. All I could do was bestow some last minute advice as I clicked on weapon's safety and shoved it in my waist band.

Whispering to him, so not to make him feel even worse, "Look before you shoot. Take a deep breath. Squeeze the trigger as you let the breath out. Relax before you shoot. Too much tension makes your arms shake."

Then I was off. I agilely scaled the fence, dropping down as quietly as I could. I checked the gun as I stood, making sure it was still there, and making a mental note to check some gun stores for ammo. Then I slid out a knife. I had pilfered it from the kitchen that morning. Noise seemed to attract walkers, which meant guns were a last resort.

Being on my own meant adapting to survive. Conveniently, I was damn good at adapting, another perk of the job. That night I headed for the mountains. If I was up high, I might be able to see danger before it saw me. At that point another thought came to me, less people meant less potential walkers.

I got out of the city that night, taking down five walkers silently. Everywhere I went I saw walkers. Luckily for me, they all seemed to be focused on the glow from the base I had left. Every walker I saw further solidified my will to leave. There were too many of them. A tear rolled down my face as I thought of that father and little girl I had seen this morning. He would never be able to take those words back. And for the looks of it, he didn't have long with her left.

Sometimes I wondered if it was better that I didn't have any family left. I wouldn't have to watch them suffer. I wouldn't snap at them or argue about what to do. If I made the wrong choice, the only person I killed, is myself.

I was alone for two months, and damn I was bored. Originally I just wanted to survive, and I succeeded in that case. But it didn't take long for me to realize that surviving was NOT living.

I'd killed another eight walkers in that time. For some reason I couldn't let myself forget any walker I killed. My head told me that they were no longer human, but at the same time my heart cried out that they once were. I put a mark on the lone tree I'd make camp at for each walker.

I'd found a good place to stay. A ragged piece of earth jutted straight up. It was a bitch to climb, but that kept the walkers at bay. At the very top it was about ten by ten foot of solid, semi flat, land. A large tree sat at the very top of my mini-mountain. The tree provided a bit of shelter against Mother Nature's fury. About two miles away, a mostly deep river slowed down and went through a shallow part. I was able to fish for food there.

Any fish I caught, and I got really good at catching fish, was cooked another two miles from the stream. My strategy was to go in somewhat of a triangle. I didn't want to start a fire near my camp or my fishing spot. Fire was asking for walkers, and there were enough walkers that I didn't need to ask for any.

I made myself keep to a schedule. Every morning I rose with the sun. I stretched first. A pulled hamstring was a bitch. I knew that from when I first started striping. I never forgot to stretch again. Then came push-ups. I hate push-ups, but I also would hate it if one day I wasn't able to climb up to my little safe haven. Then I ran. I would run my triangle, looking for any signs of walkers nearby. Then I would walk to my fishing spot and attempt to catch a meal.

Everything was fine, totally boring, but fine.

That day started out like any other.

Stretch.

Push-ups.

Run.

Catch a fish.

I was halfway through cooking my fish when I heard a rustling behind me. I spun quickly, expecting a walker, whipping out my knife in a flash. It was not a walker that looked back at me. Two men stood there. The older of the two leaned easily against a tree. He wore a cruel grin that I immediately recognized from my former profession. He was a little over six foot, short hair, and had a drug problem. The last observation came as I quickly noticed his blood shot eyes and the slight shake in his hands.

The younger man had a crossbow pointed at my head. His hair was longer, and kind of shaggy. His eyes were blue and clear. His hands held up the crossbow steadily. The young man had his finger off the trigger. His face was hard, but not cruel. He was not a killer, but a hunter. I immediately knew that, out of the two, I was in more danger from the man without a weapon.

I knew what they saw as they stared back at me. I was still crouched down, but on the balls of my feet, one hand holding a knife. My almost black hair was long and wild. My skin had a dark tan from fishing in the sun. My green eyes were wide with fear. My tattoo of a thorny vine of roses was showing on my left forearm. My clothes were worn near to threads.

I was frozen. On one hand I wanted to run, my instincts telling me the older man was trouble. On the other hand I was desperate for human contact.

"Well you just gonna stare at us all day, darlin'?" asked the older man as he stood up and took a step towards me.

When the man finally moved, the need to escape won. I fled. I ran as fast as I could. I couldn't think straight. I was completely panicked. I ran to the only place I felt safe. As I made it to the base of my mini-mountain I looked back to see the two men running towards me. I climbed up to the tree, and grabbed the gun from my bag.

It was the same gun I had grabbed from the young man back in Atlanta. Holding the gun, I remembered how the man had almost shot me in the back of the head because he was afraid. I took a deep breathe. My nerves calmed just enough for me to regain control of my actions. I was able curb the irrational urge to shoot first ask question later.

The older man's head popped over the top of the overhang first. But he didn't even look at me. The man was breathing so hard he just laid down and closed his eyes. I nearly laughed. I was afraid of this man? I could probably beat him in a match based on stamina alone.

Now I had a different matter on my hands when the second man popped up. His eyes narrowed at me when he saw the gun, and I noticed his finger was on the trigger this time.

"Merle? You okay man?" the young man asked, not looking away from me.

The man on the ground, Merle I guess, muttered something unintelligible.

I spoke quietly, my voice sounding hoarse from disuse, "He needs to control his breathing. That's why he is out of breath."

Merle finally looked at me, "Aww shit Daryl, bet ya she does that yoga shit. Look at her ass. You can always tell them yoga girls by their ass." The tension dissipated at that.

I lowered my gun, "Is he always like that?" I asked, again bewildered by the fact I thought this idiot could hurt me.

"Pretty much." Daryl answered, taking his finger off the trigger, but not lowering his weapon.

"My name is Rose." I told them softly.

**I got the idea for this story from a tattoo I want to get. I want to get a tattoo of a thorny vine of roses wrapping around my forearm. To me the tattoo resembles life. Like the rose, life is beautiful but has its painful parts. Let me know what y'all think!**


	2. Chapter 2

Not Good With People

Daryl watched the woman closely. She was no longer panicking, and a small smile graced the corners of her lips. Daryl finally lowered his crossbow, but kept it ready to use. Rose was obviously underweight, but who wasn't these days. She was doing well enough though, because she had a layer of muscle covering her arms and legs.

"I'm Daryl. That's Merle."

Rose looked boldly into Daryl's eyes, "Nice to meet you. It's nice to be meeting anyone these days."

Daryl wondered how long Rose had been out here on her own. He looked around. A sleeping bad was rolled up in the roots of the tree. There were canteens next to the bag. He saw bare minimum in way of personal belongings and no tent at all. She may have survived this long, but the woman would freeze to death come winter.

"Now Sweetcakes, what's a pretty girl like ya doin' up here alone?" Merle asked, finally sitting up after having caught his breathe.

Rose's hint of a smile disappeared before she answered, "I left Atlanta. I could tell things were going very wrong with the walkers. So I slipped out before something else got in."

Daryl frowned, "Atlanta fell three months ago. You've been on your own since then?"

Rose nodded, "I found a good place to fish. Some days I go hungry, but most I don't."

Daryl wouldn't have even followed the girl when she ran, but Merle took off after her. In Daryl's mind, a girl who ran probably didn't want someone following her. But Merle followed her, so Daryl followed Merle.

"Why don't you come back with us, sugar?" Merle offered.

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Merle!"

Merle looked back at Daryl with an exasperated look, "There ain't one chick back there that looks like she does, even with her crazy hair."

Daryl didn't miss the fear that entered her eyes at the mention of other people. That didn't make sense to him. Most women, as pretty as Rose was, were never caught without a herd around them. Daryl looked more closely at Rose. He saw the way her right hand went to touch the inside of her tattooed forearm. Daryl knew that look on her face; he had seen it in the mirror before. She had scars of her own.

"Th-There are more of you?" she stammered.

Merle answered, "We're stuck with some goody-two-shoes group. We got some women and children, some city-slicker men, and a cop. Ragtag kinda group."

Rose didn't look any more comfortable to Daryl. In fact, a hint of panic had re-entered her eyes. Daryl understood her fear. People were dangerous. Daryl also understood that she would die if she stayed here through winter.

"Gonna be damn cold come winter." Daryl heard himself say.

Rose looked back up at him, "I know."

"Now Daryl, we can't have a sweet piece of meat like this freezin' to death." Merle drawled.

Rose's eyes never left Daryl's, "I'm not great with people."

Merle laughed, "Join the club sweetheart. Now get your stuff and come on."

Rose was still looking Daryl, so he nodded and mumbled his consent. Slowly Rose tucked her gun into the back of her pants, apparently having forgotten she was still holding it. It took her five minutes to pack up her small amount of belongings.

At one point she bent over and Merle immediately slapped Daryl in stomach, "Just look at that ass! I told ya she was a yoga chick." He stated smugly, not bothering to talk quietly so she wouldn't hear.

Rose stood quickly, turning to face the pair. Daryl looked up, only just noticing that he had actually looked at Rose's ass when Merle made his comment, to see Rose looking back at him with an eyebrow raised. Daryl felt heat in his cheeks, but didn't bother to apologize. Instead he only grunted, vaguely thinking to himself that she did have a nice ass.

"I'm done," Rose said quietly.

"Ladies first," Merle stated, earning an eye roll from Rose.

"You just want to look at my butt some more." She threw back at him.

Merle laughed, "Looks like the ladies got some balls, lil' D."

Daryl said nothing. Instead, he simply started climbing down the incline. Rose followed next, expertly maneuvering the steep hill. Merle was the least graceful on the way down. He opted for sitting on his backside and sliding most of the way down. Rose reached the bottom, only to be showered by dirty from Merle's haphazard decent.

"Shit!" she yelped, jumping forward.

Daryl felt the corner of his mouth raise as he watched Rose trying to brush the dirt from her hair. Merle walked up behind Rose. Silently laughing, Merle reached out to brush some dirt off Rose's shoulder. The moment he touched Rose, she snapped. Daryl watched as Rose grabbed the hand on her shoulder, twisted her whole body around and put Merle's arm in a chicken wing hold with his face on the ground. It took Rose all of two seconds to realize what she had done, and release Merle. It took Daryl a little longer to realize he had his crossbow pointed at her face. Rose backed away from Merle, looking at Daryl with her hands raised.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She mumbled, "I don't like being touched."

Merle stood up, still grinning from ear to ear, "Told you she had balls Daryl."

Daryl watched the panic leave Rose's eyes, but not the guilt. Daryl strapped his crossbow behind his back, and started walking back toward camp. Merle kept up a lively chatter the entire way back, though Rose and Daryl didn't say a word. They kept up a good pace, stopping once for Merle. They ended up walking for about five hours.

When the first signs of people started to show in the forest, Rose stopped. Daryl had noticed her feet slowing down, but he had assumed it was because she was tired. When Daryl looked back, he saw she wasn't breathing hard, but she was chewing her lip and rubbing the inside of her tattooed forearm again. Merle just kept walking, still chattering to himself.

"Camp's up ahead." Daryl grunted.

Rose nodded before speaking, "You remember me telling you I wasn't good with people?"

Daryl nodded.

"Well even before… everything went to shit… I was alone. I kept to myself, and I liked it that way. I'm not sure I know how to be… in a group."

Daryl stared at her a moment. Her green eyes bore into his almost pleadingly. Those green eyes pulled at emotions Daryl preferred not to have. He briefly wondered what she had gone through, then pushed the thoughts away. Still though, he knew she needed a little reassurance from him.

"You'll be fine. Merle and I gotta tent away from the others. It's big nuf' for three."

Rose gave him a small, nervous smile. She walked the rest of the way up to him. They walked into camp together just getting to hear the end of Merle's announcement.

"She's got the finest ass I've seen in years."

**Here is chapter two! Please review if you want me to keep going. Every writer needs encouragement.**


	3. Chapter 3

"He didn't…" I mumbled.

"He did…" Daryl confirmed.

Merle jumped off the log he had used to make his announcement, "There ya go sweetcakes, everyone knows you're here."

Merle then walked off to a tent that was set apart from the rest of the group. I stared flabbergasted at the group of people before me. What was a girl supposed to do in a situation like this?

A man with dark hair and army boots started walking towards me, "My name is Shane." He said, offering me his hand, and smiling a little too warmly.

I shook it, "I'm Rose," was all I could mumble, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

Looking behind me, I noticed Daryl had disappeared. Turning back towards Shane, I saw him bringing his hand up to put on my shoulder. I subtly took a step away from him. The man's eyes narrowed a bit, but he said nothing and proceeded to introduce me to the rest of the group.

After being alone for so long, it was overwhelming to be near so many people. I'd forgotten how loud people were, but I was doing fine until a family of three stepped up to meet me. First I noticed how the woman didn't once look into my eyes. That caught my attention. That's when I saw that the wife's hair had been cut unfashionably short and she wore very bland baggy clothes. Nothing that the woman wore could really be called feminine, even if they were women's clothes. Then my eyes drifted to the husband. Shane introduced him as Ed. When Ed stepped up to meet me he made no effort to hide the covetous glance he sent down my body, even though his wife stood right next to him. I felt suddenly ill. I made a mental note to keep an eye on that man.

Finally all the introductions were made, and everyone began settling back down around the camp. It seemed that the excitement of meeting 'The New Girl' had worn off for the moment. I used that opportunity to sneak towards the tent I had seen Merle enter.

"Umm… Merle? Daryl?" I called through the tent, not feeling comfortable just want to walking in on them.

No one answered. Unsure what to do, I simply stood there. I didn't really know Daryl or Merle any better the other people I had just met, so why was I more comfortable around them? Maybe it was because they could have already hurt me in the woods or even left me.

"Hey Rose! I've got some room in my tent if you need to stay there." I looked up to see Shane walking towards me with that same overly friendly smile.

The only thought that went through my head was 'Oh HELL no'. I waved to him, gave him a small smile, and practically dived into what I hoped was Merle and Daryl's tent. Once inside, I saw both men I had been looking for. Merle was laughing while doing his best to be quiet with his hands covering his mouth. Daryl just sat on his sleeping bag, sharpening a knife.

"Were you just going to let me stand out there?" I asked, wondering why they hadn't answered.

Daryl held a hand out to Merle. Merle finally stopped laughing long enough to drop a pack of cigarettes in Daryl's hand.

"Damn, I thought for sure it'd be that Asian kid that made the first move." Merle said, sending himself into a fit of laughter again, "Daryl bet Shane though."

I rolled my eyes at Merle, his playfulness quickly making me forget my uneasiness with Shane and Ed. I snorted through my nose as I remembered how the Asian boy, Glenn, had barely been able to mutter hello. I highly doubted he could find the nerve to invite me to bed. He seemed nice though, none of my warning bells were ringing in his direction.

I retorted quickly to Merle, finding that bantering with Merle came pretty easily, "Of course it's not going to be the Asian kid. The boy is nice, but I think I have more balls than he does."

"Yes, but Shane is already getting some. Asian boy should have some pretty blue balls by now." Merle replied back.

I sat down and stared at my feet. Slowly I went through the women I'd met, remembering each ones' reaction to me. The older blonde woman had seemed a little distant with me, but I had the feeling she was just being protective of her little sister. It was the skinny brunette who had given me the stink eye when she thought I wasn't looking. She had a kid, and I had seen a wedding band around her finger. Although I was willing to bet Shane wasn't her husband if he was offering me his tent.

"Lori?" I asked, vaguely remembering the brunette's name.

Merle nodded and narrowed his eyes, "Yep. How'd you know so fast?"

I frowned, "I may not be very good at interacting with people, but I am good at reading them."

Merle nodded again, not pushing for any more information, "Her husband died. Shane was his partner."

I shook my head. I was not about to let anyone drag me into that mess. I added Shane to my list of people to watch out for.

"So which one of us are _you_ sleeping with?" Merle asked suggestively, trying to lighten the mood.

I rolled my eyes. It was a wonder that I could be comfortable with these two men, one of whom was a pervert while the other always had some kind of weapon in his hand.

I quickly retorted back, "Don't kid yourself Merle, I always go for the quiet ones."

Merle looked only slightly put out, "Aww hell, lil' D might get laid."

I almost laughed as a dark blush spread across Daryl's cheeks. Some men couldn't pull off a blush, but Daryl could. His blue eyes just looked even bluer when that blush spread across his face. I decided then that Daryl had a very attractive face. Even with dirt and sweat, Daryl's face held a great deal of appeal. He had a nice body too. He was tone, but not overly buffed up. It was then that I realized I was staring at Daryl. Luckily Daryl didn't look up at me, the blush just beginning to fade away.

Looking around the tent, I saw that the only space big enough for my sleeping bags was on the opposite side of the door. I would be lying with my feet by one man's head and my head by the other man. Sighing to myself, I thought I might as well make my point. I quietly laid my bag down so that my feet would be facing Merle and my head would be by Daryl.

At that point, Merle huffed, "I'm gonna be the one with blue balls at this rate." Then turned over and fell asleep almost instantly.

As I dropped down on top of my sleeping bag, I remembered that I never did get to eat the fish I had caught today. My stomach growled at the thought. Daryl finally looked up at the sound of my angry stomach. He stared at me a moment before putting down his knife and rummaging through a bag at his feet. Laying down, Daryl handed me a large strip of beef jerky.

"Next time you're hungry, Rose, just ask." Daryl told me, looking me in the eyes briefly.

I nodded, slightly embarrassed, "Thank you."

Daryl grunted.

"Hey Daryl? How'd you find me?" I asked, curious.

Daryl looked up at me again, holding my gaze, but looking away and back every few seconds, "I was tracking a deer. I came across your tracks. The size of them was too small to be a grown man's, and they were too far apart to be walking. I followed your tracks because I thought someone might be in trouble."

"But you lost the deer," I said.

Daryl nodded, frowning, "Almost didn't go find you. I wanted that deer."

I lightly touched Daryl's wrist, inwardly surprised that I had initiated the contact, "I'm glad you did."

**So I maybe I should have mentioned this would be a slow burn… Well most Daryl fans should know that anyway. I will mention that Rose has scars. Physical and emotional scars. She will be able to relate to Daryl in some ways. The next chapter you will find out about her scars… and her tattoo.**

**Reviews Please. And don't be afraid to PM me.**


	4. Chapter 4

I slept better that night than I had in months. So when the sun began peeking through the tent's window, I was ready to get up. Merle was still asleep, but Daryl was nowhere to be found. There wasn't enough room inside to do my stretches; and I didn't really want Merle waking up and making another yoga comment, so I walked outside. On my way out I grabbed my knife, sliding it into my makeshift sheath.

Shane was already up and walking around the campsite. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I silently walked into the nearby woods. I walked only far enough so that I no longer heard the noises of people waking up. There I started my stretches.

I began by touching my toes, relieving a deep ache from my back. Sleep hadn't come easy last night. I hadn't slept in the same room as a man in years, so I was very uncomfortable. It hadn't helped that Merle snored louder than a pig. I never wanted a pair of ear plugs so much in my life. Next I worked on loosening my calves. Standing a few feet away from a tree, I leaned forward, keeping my feet planted on the ground.

I went through all my stretches as normal, thinking about how I used to do this before every show at the clubs. I remember always getting a cheer from the crowd when I dropped into the splits from standing up. That move was usually my ending trick since it was such a crowd pleaser. A smirk spread across my lips as I wondered if I could still do the splits.

Standing up, I did one more toe touch. Then I slowly lowered myself into the splits, with my feet on both sides of me. I definitely felt my leg muscles straining, but only a bit.

The snapping of a twig brought me out of my thoughts. As fast as I could, I swept my feet together and jumped up, pulling my knife out. I turned to see Daryl staring at me, his crossbow at his side. He wore a surprised look with his eyebrows raised, his mouth slightly open, and a blush across his face.

"Is that what Merle was talking about? Yoga?" Daryl asked, trying to recover, his blush only spreading.

I grinned, finding him all the more adorable, "Don't tell?"

Daryl gave me the smallest of smiles before nodding, "If I told him, I would have to give him that pack of cigarettes back."

I laughed.

"You ready to head back?" Daryl asked.

I shook my head, "Still have to run a bit."

Daryl narrowed his eyes in confusion so I continued my answer, "I got into a system while I was alone. It's kept me alive this long, why change it?"

With a shoulder shrug and a nod, Daryl picked up a string of squirrels, I hadn't noticed those, and continued back to camp. After Daryl had passed me I gained the courage to look at his backside, but his baggy cargo shorts hid his butt from me. I let out a disappointed sigh.

I needed to start my run. Running always helped me think, even before this world went bat-shit crazy. I decided I would run around the camp. I thought about my run as sort of a perimeter check, just like I had done with my triangle run. I finished my lap around the camp, but I'd only run about a mile. So I widened the distance between myself and the camp and ran it again.

I suddenly heard movement ahead of me. Slowing down to a tip-toe I crept up to a tree and peeked around it. Most of the women from the group were walking down a well-worn path, carrying baskets of clothes. I let out the breath I was holding.

"Good a time as any." I mumbled under my breath, deciding to try and integrate into the group.

I stepped out from behind my tree, planning on joining the group. The blonde saw me as soon as I moved around the tree. I saw panic flare in her eyes, and I knew that I had made the wrong move. The blonde brought a gun out of nowhere, pointing it at me.

"Wait wait wait! I'm not a walker!" I screamed.

The blonde realized her mistake just in time. She immediately lowered her gun, looking down. I looked closer at her gun, and noticed the safety was on. I rolled my eyes, almost telling her about the safety, but deciding it was safer for me not to.

"What were you doing in there? I almost killed you!" the blonde gasped.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you…" I wondered at why I was apologizing, when I was the one almost shot.

It was the younger blonde that answered for her, "That's Andrea. And I'm Amy. Don't worry about her."

I smiled at the group, but no longer felt like joining them, "Thanks, I'm going to head back to camp."

The group all waved goodbye, and we walked separate ways. I hadn't gotten far before I saw an overweight man shuffling down the path. Ed. I remembered his name immediately. The hair on the back of my neck rose. I looked at my feet and tried to quickly walk past him.

As I was walking by, Ed abruptly stopped. His hand shot out to grab my tattooed wrist. I curbed the urge to immediately put him on his ass. Slowly, I raised my gaze to look at Ed. He was sweating profusely, and he smelled like bad body odor. He pulled me closer.

"Ed… Let go." I demanded, pulling myself up to my full height and staring him down. One punch to the throat and I would have this fat geezer on the ground.

"I know who you are." He whispered.

A chill ran down my back, "I don't know what you're talking about." I meant it to sound tough, but my voice wobbled.

"I know you are Ruby Red," he told me, mentioning my stripper name.

Panic built in my throat, "Let go of me, before I make you," My voice getting louder.

"I haven't told anyone… yet. But I will if I have to," He threatened.

A voice came out of nowhere, "Ed, time ta let go of her."

I looked up the path to see Daryl, Merle, and Shane. Ed shoved me back, and I fell to the ground. I was too shocked to get up. Out of all the people that could have survived the apocalypse, it had to be one of the assholes who frequented the club? When people said you could never get away from your life, they meant it.

"I didn't do anything. She came onto me. She's a fucking striper." Ed spat.

Embarrassment colored my face red, and I couldn't look at any of the men. I climbed ungracefully to my feet and stumbled back to the tent. Tears began to blur my vision as I haphazardly rolled up my sleeping bag.

"What are you doing Rose?"

I squealed, a very girlie squeal, and fell on my butt trying to turn around to see Daryl. Daryl had followed me back. He stood in the doorway, his crossbow slung across his back. I watched him stand there and I just became so angry at him. I had been doing just fine on my own.

"I TOLD you! I TOLD you I was no good with people!" I shouted at him, my vision too blurry to correctly clasp my sleeping bag clip.

"So you're just going to leave?" Daryl's voice rose in volume.

"I told you…" I mumbled, trying to dry my tears.

Daryl only seemed to get angrier, "You're not supposed to get along with assholes like that. He's an asshole who hurts his wife, ain't no one supposed to get along with him. Why you think you are?"

I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. I put my head on my knees and cried silently. Daryl sat down next to me, putting his hand on my tattooed wrist, rubbing over the intricate design of roses and thorns. I opened my eyes just wide enough to look at his hand touching my tattoo.

"Roses…" he murmured.

Daryl gently wrapped his hand around my wrist, pulling my arm away from my legs, and making me look him in the eye. Daryl opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped and looked back at my wrist. My eyes closed in shame as I realized what he felt. My scars.

"Daryl, I-" I started to explain.

"What the hell, Rose?" Daryl whispered, turning my wrist over.

The tattoo artist had done an amazing job covering up my scar. He had covered every inch of it, while not making it look like there was something to cover up. Daryl ran his hand over the tattoo, stopping when he felt the roughened skin.

I signed, too late to turn back now, "I met a guy when I left for college. He was kind and I thought I was in love. He offered to pay for my college and buy me whatever I wanted if I moved in with him. So I did."

Daryl started to say something, but I cut him off, "Don't say anything. If I stop I won't finish. Now days, I look back… and I can see how he isolated me from both my friends and family. Granted, it wasn't hard to do, like I said I'm not good with people, and I was never close to my family. But he made sure I was completely alone except for him. He loved having me at his beck and call. Then one day… he just… never came home."

I took a couple deep breaths before I could continue, then I just spoke as quickly as I could, "He didn't come back the whole next week. My card got declined at the grocery store. I came home and went through the mail. I found bills addressed to me for credit cards I had never used. They were maxed out. A couple days later, some loan sharks came to the apartment. I had just turned on the stove. I got pushed into it."

I held my damaged wrist closer to Daryl's face, "That's how I got this. I became I striper to pay back the sharks, pay the credit card companies, and to pay college tuition. It was all I could do to stay afloat."

Daryl didn't say anything. There was more to my story, and I was willing to bet that he knew that. I didn't tell him how the loan sharks had continued to harass me after I paid them back. I didn't tell him how I had another rose tattoo on my shoulder because I had tried to break up a fight and had been thrown down on broken glass. I hadn't told him I learned Martial Arts so that I could protect myself. I didn't tell him I had bought a gun and had become a regular at the shooting range. I had told him enough for now.

"Nothing to say?" I questioned.

Daryl just put his arm around my shoulders, "Naw. There is nothing someone can say. Ain't nothing that can fix scars like that."

I looked closer at him. That had been very insightful for a redneck.

"You're not what you seem, are you?" I asked.

"If I had known you back then… I'd have killed that bastard." He said, and I knew he meant it.

"Thank you." I said.

Then Merle walked in, "Darlin' why the hell didn't you tell me you were a stripper? You know I wouldn't think any less of ya. In fact, I think I like ya even more. Don't let tha' one get away, Daryl."

I laughed, wiping away my tears, "Thanks Merle."

Daryl took his arm off my shoulders, "Shut up, Merle."

**So I heard on the radio the other day that the color green gets your creative juices flowing. So I have lime green nails! Yayyy. So here is the next chapter. Review please, or PM.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey so this chapter is going to be a split point-of-view chapter. Enjoy!**

Daryl's POV

I woke up just before the sun came up. I always beat the sun up. Best hunting was done early in the morning. As I grabbed a change of clothes and my crossbow, I looked over to Rose's sleeping form.

She had finally fallen asleep after tossing and turning all night long. I'd felt the unexplainable urge to comfort her, but I had no idea how, so I stayed quiet.

Now that she was actually resting, I took my time to look at her. Her dark brown hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders and face. She had raspberry colored lips, which I had caught her chewing on a couple times. Rose mumbled in her sleep before rolling over so that her back was facing me. Her hair fell from her should to reveal the outline of another rose tattoo through the thin material of her shirt.

I wondered how a girl like Rose could have been a stripper. Sure, she had a body that looked like sin incarnate, but she was too soft to have lived in a world like that. Merle had dragged me to strip clubs, and the ones he had been to were very rough on their women.

I didn't wait around to ask any questions, Rose was beginning to stir. Soon she would be awake and looking at me with those unearthly green eyes.

I slipped out the tent opening and down to the river. There I scrubbed at the dirt on my body in the chilled water. I kept alert for any signs of trouble, like always, so I knew when someone was coming before I ever saw them.

"Lil' D are ya takin' a bath?" Merle asked, "I know you only take 'em once a month, and ya took one last week. Not tryin' ta impress our Rosie girl, are ya?"

"Shut up, Merle." I muttered, mostly ignoring him.

"Daryl, that chick's too hot ta not be bangin'." Merle stated.

I snapped back at him, "Then why ain't you takin' her?"

Merle just shook his head, "She don't want me. Girl got sad eyes, anyway. Not my type. Plus the girl put me on my ass once, and I ain't asking for 'nother round."

I thought about what he said, but didn't think Merle would come all this way just to talk about a girl, "That what ya wanna talk 'bout? Rose?"

Merle hung his head, "No… I need some stuff. I'm almost out."

I shook my head, "Ya got a whole bag full of that shit, saw it this mornin'."

Merle looked up at me, his eyes pleading, "I can't take that shit. That stuff slows me down. I waited as long as I can, but I'm bout out."

I knew that without those drugs Merle was gonna get real mean, real fast. There was a reason Merle never quit, and it was because even Merle couldn't stand himself during his withdrawals.

"Ok. I'll go get them with the next run," I told Merle.

Merle stood straight up, putting on his big brother look, "No. Daryl, if you leave, I'm not sure Rose will stay with the group."

I walked out of the river and started dressing, "Why do ya think she'd stay here cause of me?"

Merle actually laughed at that, "You really can't see it? That girl don't come within three foot of anyone, but yesterday I walk in ta see her all cuddled up to you."

I finished dressing and picked up my crossbow, "So what ya wanna do?"

"I'll go on the next run. You stay here, keep hunting, and for God's sake get your cranky ass _laid_." Merle said.

I started walking away at that, "Whatever Merle. Don't get ya'self in trouble."

I walked away from my brother and into the dramaless safety of the woods. I had hunted the woods near the camp scarce of any game. If I had some feeders I could lure animals back into the area, but I didn't. So I walked two hours, hunted for twice that, and walked back with mostly squirrels.

Rose POV

I woke up just in time to watch Merle slip out the tent, his hands shaking so had he could barely unzip the door flap. I chewed my lip nervously, Merle had proven to be a good humored so far, but what would he be like without his fix?

I refused to leave the tent at first. I didn't want a repeat of yesterday. Eventually, the urge to pee became unbearable. I crawled out of the tent as Merle emerged from the trail I'd had my confrontation with Ed on. I gave him a small grin, and then went into the woods to relieve myself. When I came back, I saw Merle near the campfire, talking to Shane.

The two men didn't seem to be having a pleasant conversation. I didn't want to, but I walked towards the men anyway. As I got closer, I realized what was going on. Merle was low on drugs, and he wanted to do a run, but Shane refused to risk people for "a drug-dealer".

That was when Merle got mad, "I ain't no drug dealer, asswipe. And you don't wanna have a pissing contest with me, ya fucking cop. My brother feeds all you shitheads, so unless ya'll want the supply of fresh meat to stop, I suggest you show some fucking respect." Merle spat at the cop.

I noticed Lori starting to round up the kids, and Shane looked ready to punch Merle. So I spoke up before any blows were traded.

"I'm sure there are other things that the camp needs. Maybe you can make a group run."

Shane turned his very intense gaze onto me, "No. Glenn does all our runs."

I didn't look away, even though Shane's unwavering gaze made me uncomfortable, "Well surely _more_ people could grab _more_ things."

Glenn came forward, fidgeting slightly, "I like going on my own better. I'm not sure a group is a good idea."

Thankful for someone else to talk to, I immediately turned towards Glenn, "But you can't possible get everything we need, right?"

Glenn slowly nodded his head in agreement.

"See?" I asked, reluctantly turning back to Shane, "Merle can go, het what he needs, and bring back supplies."

I looked over to Merle at that point. The man was staring daggers at me. I frowned, what had I done now? I followed Merle when he stalked off to the tent. I had just gotten inside the tent, when Merle rounded on me.

"I don't need no damn woman to stick up for me out there!" he spat, his hands shaking and his eyes red.

This was what I had glimpsed the first time I saw Merle. The man had a dark side.

"What? Ain't got nothin' to say? Get out!" Merle yelled at me.

Fear rushed through my veins, making my feet flee the tent. I didn't stop when I got outside, I just kept running. I ran full out, pushing my body to its limits. I just wanted to get away from everyone. Silent tears ran down my face.

I don't know how long I ran, but I ran until my body was burning. I ran until my footsteps became heavy and I was too tired to catch myself when I tripped over a tree root. I just laid there for a second. My breath wheezed in and out. I could smell blood, but my body hurt too badly for me to locate my injury.

All I was able to do was drag my strained body over to the tree that had tripped me. I leaned my back against the tree trunk, and made a visual check over of my body. One of my knees bleed profusely, and both my palms were raw. I only had the energy to groan.

Trying to distract myself, I thought about how I had lived before Daryl had tracked me down. I'd been alone, but that wasn't what had bothered me. Living alone, only killing walkers and hunting fish, I had begun to grow cold. I'd lived on my own for years, but never completely secluded from human contact. Killing walkers and catching fish had become more of a reflex than anything else. I hardly feared walkers anymore.

When those two redneck brothers found me, I had felt the stirrings of feelings again. Sure, fear was the first feeling, but hope was there too. And it hadn't taken much more time for other feelings to bloom inside me. I wouldn't name those feelings though. The only thing I would admit was that I felt warmth swirl inside my stomach when I thought of Daryl.

It was almost dark when a shuffling and groaning sound brought me from my musings. I looked up to see a lone walker about fifty feet from me. It hadn't seen me yet, but could obviously smell me. The thing stopped walking and turned in different directions, sniffing at the air.

When it was facing my direction, it slowly stumbled forward. The walker was a full grown man, dressed in what looked like the remains of a mechanic's work overalls. In that moment, I realized that I had survived for so long, but I had never really lived. I wanted to start living, and I hoped Daryl would be a part of that.

The walker finally caught sight of me as my will to live solidified. The walker's groans turned to growls, and I pulled out my knife as I stood. The walker lunged forward. I caught the walker with a hand to its throat, holding it away from me. I looked into its eyes. I wondered if the man had ever had a family, or maybe a pet dog. I tear slip down my cheek, as I drove my knife through its skull.

Number 14

I dropped the walker off to the side, and slowly slid back down the tree, all my adrenaline fading fast from my body. I was too tired to walk back. I was too tired to even walk away from the putrid mass of rotting skin and bone beside me. My arms and legs felt like jello, maybe I could just rest here for a while.

I hadn't slept well since I got to the camp. I knew my sleepless nights had finally caught up to me as I felt my head drooping down. I fought sleep as long as I could, but by the time I heard footsteps, I was nearly gone.

"Rose?" came the rough whispered voice of Daryl.

With what little energy I had, I called out to him, "Daryl…"

"Rose!" Daryl rushed to my side, "Are you okay? Did the walker bite you?"

I let out a strangled yelp when Daryl grabbed my damaged hands, "Rose! Are you bit?!"

"No…" I mumbled, "I fell, scraped hands and knee… so tired."

Daryl sighed, and finally relaxed beside me, "Rose… I'm not gonna keep chasing ya. Tell me now… are ya gonna stay or what?"

I curled into Daryl, his warmth beckoning to me and stripping away what little filter I had in my sleepy state, "I want to stay… with you. I want to feel alive."

Daryl's arms wrapped under my knees and behind my shoulders, easily picking me up, "Ya feel alive to me."

I giggled and wrapped my arms around Daryl's neck, "Not what I meant."

**In this chapter I wanted Rose to finally make the decision to stay with the group. She had to decide if she wanted to survive or truly live. Because in a world full of dead… there is only so much time to live.**

**Okay guys, I need reviews! Tell me how I'm doing! **


	6. Chapter 6

I groggily woke up the next morning to see that the sun was well into the sky. A groan slipped from my lips as my body protested sitting up. My muscles burned, retaliating for their misuse yesterday. I was lying on top of my sleeping bag, still in my clothes from yesterday. Looking down at my shirt, I saw the dried walker blood staining my shirt.

Nearly gagging at the smell coming from my shirt, I ripped it over my head and chunked at across the tent. And of course, that was the moment Daryl and Merle chose to walk into the tent. Daryl walked in first then looked up to see me and froze. Merle was right behind Daryl, so his view of my nearly bared chest was effectively blocked.

"Daryl! Turn around!" I yelled at him, throwing a pillow at him.

Daryl finally looked away when the pillow hit him in his face. He turned around and pushed Merle back out the tent before he could see me. Looking around the tent, I grabbed the first shirt I could find, and threw it on.

It took all my self-control not to groan or whimper as I trudged out of the tent. Oh what I wouldn't give for a bottle of Aspirin right now. Daryl wouldn't look at me when I got outside, and I found it slightly amusing. I wasn't insecure about my body. Working at a strip club had done wonders for my self-confidence. So I knew Daryl had liked what he had seen.

Merle walked up to me, carrying a bowl of food, "Here. I saved ya breakfast."

Turning my attention to the brother, I understood the action as Merle's silent apology. Some men just couldn't say the words that went with apologies, so they made up for their mistakes with actions. I thanked Merle, taking the bowl from him. I also understood that men like that didn't want you to make a big deal out of it.

"Nice shirt, darlin'." Merle commented, walking into the tent behind me.

Looking down I realized I was wearing one of Daryl's shirts. I laughed. At least, it was clean. Daryl finally looked at me, and frowned when he saw his shirt on me.

"Sorry, it was the first shirt I got my hands on." I told Daryl.

"S'alright." He mumbled.

A shout, and my bloodied shirt, came through the door of the tent, "Get this shit out of here!"

I giggled, "Anywhere I can wash that?"

The brunette woman, Lori, suddenly appeared at that, "We're going to wash clothes now. You can join us if you like."

Lori had spoken from behind me, so I jumped at the sound of her voice. I took a step closer to Daryl, feeling a bit safer near him.

Lori smiled at me, "I promise Andrea won't try to shoot you again."

That got a smile from me. I looked to Daryl, but he was looking anywhere but me again. Maybe today would go better than yesterday.

I plastered a smile on my face before answering, "Sure, just let me grab my stuff."

I didn't have much in the way of clothes, but I grabbed what I had, stuffed it in my bag, and followed Lori. We took the path I'd almost been shot on. We walked in silence at first, but I could tell Lori wanted to ask something. I decided to let her build up her courage without any of my help.

It didn't take long, "Rose, I need to ask you something," she said, reaching towards me.

I subtly ducked her hand, "Ask away."

She stared at me, brushing her overly long bangs from her face, "Rose, you're very pretty. And by now, everyone knows about your former profession."

I felt my metaphorical hackles rise, "I didn't hear a question in that."

Lori looked down, "I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, but I need to know if you are going to stir up trouble."

I rolled my eyes, "So just because I was a striper I'm going to screw every man here? By the way, I still didn't hear a question."

Lori looked very uncomfortable, "I'm not saying that. My husband was a police officer, so I have seen the other side of things. I met a striper once, and I learned very quickly that she liked to stir up trouble. I am asking if you are going to cause pointless drama."

I narrowed my eyes at Lori and took a step closer, "You met one striper, so you know them all? For the record, I'm not interested in Shane, so you can back off."

Lori looked shocked, "I don't know what you are talking about," she said, her eyes filling with pain and guilt.

I frowned, I wasn't a cold bitch who liked to see others suffer, "Look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. But I'm not a slutty drama-crazy whore."

Lori looked down at the ground, "So Shane and I were that transparent?"

I laughed, "No. I wouldn't have guessed unless Merle had made a comment about Shane having a _buddy."_

Lori laughed too, "So the Dixon brothers know about us… grrrrreat."

"Dixon?" I asked.

Lori started back down the trail, "Merle and Daryl Dixon."

Daryl Dixon… I liked it. Lori and I walked the rest of the trail in a comfortable silence. I was pleasantly surprised to find it led to a river. The water was a pretty blue color, contrasting nicely with the tan countryside surrounding it. I would have loved to have my old camera right now.

"Over here, Rose." Lori called when I stopped to take in the scenery.

Hesitantly, I walked over to Lori, who had joined the group of women. They greeted me warmly, not upset when I couldn't remember everyone's name. I was with them for an hour before I noticed myself falling into my old habits. I had fallen silent, watching and listening to the chattering around me.

Sighing to myself, I resigned myself to being a loner. I felt a little sad at the thought, but didn't let myself ponder on it. The laundry was almost done. Carol was just getting the last of the stuff folded. I looked closer at the woman, remembering her as Ed's wife.

As I watched Carol, I could tell that her shoulder wasn't moving right, but I couldn't see any bruises because of her long sleeves. There was only one reason someone would wear long sleeves heat like this, and it was if they were hiding something. I would know. After I got the burn on my arm, I always covered it up.

Rage boiled in my stomach at the thought of a man beating on a woman. After being a victim to the loan sharks, I had made sure I would never be defenseless again. I'd taken all kinds of self-defense classes, and put them to use more than once. And if I got the chance, I would happily beat the shit out of Ed's face.

We all started walking back after that. Lori hung back to wait for me. She walked next to me the whole way back, making polite chatter. I decided that I liked Lori. She seemed to have the best interest of the group at heart, and I could respect that.

My time spent at the river only made my muscle aches worse. So when we got back to the camp, all I wanted to do was go lay down. I had just started that way when I saw all the men gathered around at the campfire. Curiosity outweighing my soreness, I lumbered over to them. The other women weren't far behind me.

Shane was speaking when we walked up, "I don't want anyone volunteering for this trip lightly. It is going to be dangerous, more so now that more people are going. Those of you who are going, get what you need. You will stay overnight in the city, and be back before nightfall tomorrow. You leave in an hour."

Looking around for the Dixon brothers, I caught a glimpse of a very worried looking Glenn. The look on his face made my stomach drop. I had the feeling something was going to go very wrong, but I brushed it off. I found Merle, standing not far behind Shane looking very pleased, but I couldn't find Daryl.

The crowd began to break up, and before I could walk away, Merle caught my eye and motioned for me to wait for him. I let out a long sigh, but waited anyway.

Merle walked briskly towards me after picking up his bag from the ground, "Do I get a kiss g'bye sweetiepie?"

I didn't bother to answer him. Instead I raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah I didn't think so. I found ya somethin'." He said, holding out a knife holster, "Daryl noticed ya had a knife, but were gonna get ya'self stabbed if we didn't find you somethin' to put it in."

I smiled, "Thank you, Merle. And be safe."

Merle scoffed at me, "Ain't no need to be safe, I'm a Dixon."

I shook my head, "Ok Merle."

We parted ways after that. I finally made it back to the tent. That was where I found Daryl, sharpening another knife. I laid down on my side, facing Daryl. My body was exhausted, but my mind was wide awake. So I just laid there, watching Daryl sharpening his knife. At first we didn't talk, and I was okay with that.

Finally Daryl stopped his movements. I looked away from his hands and found myself staring into his blue eyes. Daryl's eyes hardly ever met mine, but every time they did I felt my stomach jump. They were just so blue. And right now I could see a question in those blue eyes.

Daryl looked away from me before attempting to ask his question, speaking softly and stumbling over his own words, "Why did you… I mean… how did you… fuck… nevermind."

"Why did I decide to be a striper?" I finished for him, not upset at it.

Daryl nodded, looking back to me.

I gave him a grim smile, "Well, I needed the money, and fast. I was a pretty girl, and I'd actually had dancing lessons when I was younger. Plus I didn't want to quit school, so I needed a night job."

Daryl looked down before speaking again, "But… I've been to strip clubs before, and… it is a rough… job."

I don't know what it was about this man that made me want to tell him everything, but the truth just seemed to fall out of my mouth around him, "The first place I was at… was bad. At the time I didn't know the difference between high end and low end clubs. The first club I was at… they locked me in a room with a client after I had only been there for a week. After he was done with me, the club paid me hush money. I know I should have gone to the cops, but I needed the money."

Daryl was silent, but I could see the rage on his face.

"Anyway, I left that place. I didn't some research this time, and found a place that catered to more… upstanding citizens. I got into a couple of scrapes there, but nothing I couldn't handle."

Daryl finally spoke, "How do ya talk about shit like that… like its nothing to ya?"

I looked up at him through my lashes, "I was a victim back then. Now I'm not. Sometimes… I can almost convince myself… that it happened to another person."

Daryl scooted closer to me, lifting his hand to brush his fingers against the rose covered scar on the back of my shoulder, "There is a scar here too, isn't there."

I nodded, a tingle running down my back from where his fingers were touching me, "I tried to break up a fight. The man I was trying to help ended up knocking me over on some broken glass."

Daryl was so close to me, that I could smell him. He had a very earthy smell, like the forest just after it rained. I lifted myself up on one elbow, closing the gap between us until there was just a whisper of space. My gaze drifted to his lips, and then back to meet his own intense gaze.

"Hey Rose?" called Lori from outside the tent, causing Daryl to jump away from me.

I huffed quietly, cursing Lori's bad timing, "Yes Lori?"

"I was just going to tell you that we are going to eat now, so we can eat with the people going into the city." She told me cheerily through the tent.

"Thanks Lori."

I looked over to Daryl, who had resorted to looking at anything but me again. I didn't know what to say to him. So I stood up, only groaning a little bit, and walked out to eat with everyone else. As I ate, I couldn't stop glancing over at him.

At first I thought he was unfazed. He hadn't looked at me once. As I went to put up my plate, I felt someone's eyes on me. I turned around quickly to see Daryl gazing at me through the fire. He was as effected as I was, if the intensity of his gaze was any indicator.

**So Daryl and Rose are heating up. The next chapter will be a have a lot of temper tantrums in it. It will be awesome. Please REVIEW guys. Big thanks to the few that have reviewed! Lets get some feed back!**


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up the next morning, and for once I was excited for the day. There was a tingle in my stomach when I thought of Daryl. I grinned. Today was going to be a good day. My body was still stiff, but it didn't burn and ache like yesterday.

Daryl, of course, had already left the tent. He had come back to the tent after I'd gone to sleep, even though I had tried to wait up for him. I had the feeling he was avoiding me, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. I would have been more worried if Daryl were acting normal. I still had his shirt on, and it smelled like him.

Unfortunately I had to change it for one of my own. I had gotten away with it once, but purposely grabbing another one of his shirt might be pushing it. So I put on a black tank top and a pair of shorts I had made out of jeans. It was too hot out here to be wearing much. All I had in the way of shoes was a pair of hiking boots. Nothing sexy… but it would have to do.

I exited the tent with a small grin on my face. I was able to find Daryl the moment I looked up. He was just finishing up his breakfast, his bow slung across his back. Feeling bold, I walked over to him, stepping just a little closer than I normally would have.

Looking up at him through my lashes I asked, "Can I come with you today?"

Daryl didn't look at me at first, "Naw, I do betta' alone."

I leaned in closer, just barely touching his elbow, "Please, I would like to learn how to hunt."

Daryl finally looked towards me, his eyes briefly dropping down to the hint of cleavage peeking out of my top, "Uhh… fine. But ya ain't shootin' my bow. I'll teach ya ta track."

I grinned, "Just let me grab something to eat."

I grabbed a can of peach slices, a spring in my step. I ate my breakfast with my fingers as Daryl and I walked into the woods. We walked in silence. Our pace was fast, and I struggled not to waste any of the peaches. The peaches were delicious.

I hadn't eaten anything but fish and any berries I could find since I left civilization. When I finished the peaches I tossed the can aside, who cared about littering anyway? We walked for hours without talking. At first I enjoyed the scenery, but eventually I got bored.

"Soooo, what are we doing?" I asked.

"Walking," was Daryl's short reply.

I rolled my eyes, "I can see that. Why?"

Daryl threw me an irritated look over his shoulder, "I hunted the woods near camp clean. Gotta walk a ways ta find any game."

Grinning, I couldn't help but throw Daryl a hint, "Ohhhhh, I think there is still some game there."

Daryl's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. So we walked further into the woods. After hours of walking, Daryl took the crossbow off his back. I took that as my cue to quiet my footsteps.

After months of living in the woods, I'd learned how to be as quiet as possible. At one point, Daryl actually looked over my shoulder, seemingly checking to see if I was still there. I grinned at him, taking that as a compliment.

After another hour of walking, and no hint of any animals, Daryl spoke up, "Ain't no game here anymore ether."

"Well I don't want to go back empty handed. Somehow I just know I'll get blamed." I joked.

Daryl looked around, "We can go farther, but we would be staying the night in the woods."

Taking a stepping in front of Daryl, I peered up at him through my lashes, "Will you keep me safe?"

Daryl looked down at me, his blue eyes watching me closely, "I got a feelin'… that you can protect yourself."

The smiled so hard I thought my face would split in two, "Right you are, Daryl Dixon."

Then I twirled and started walking. I really was feeling daring today.

"Rose…" Daryl called.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking back at him over my shoulder.

"This way," he said, pointing his crossbow in the opposite direction.

I frowned, thinking 'there went my sexy walk off move'. As I walked past Daryl, I saw a small lopsided grin grace his features. We walked for a few more hours, and I was starting to feel my legs burn again. There was a film of sweat covering my entire body.

That was when I started day-dreaming about a shower. I thought about the strawberry shampoo set I always used. My hair would smell like strawberries all day long. Back then I had been obsessed with my hair. I always loved my long hair. I'd gotten the dark color from my dad, but the curls were definitely from my mother.

My parents hadn't actually wanted any kids. They had wanted to break rules and never grow up. When my mom found out she was pregnant, she had almost gotten an abortion. In the end, she couldn't do it. My father had taken off after hearing the news. He hadn't been ready to give up the adventures. He had come back though, just before I was born.

They had both loved me, but they didn't stay together long after I was born. Their parenting styles, or lack thereof, had driven them apart. I had loved my parents, but it hadn't been hard to drive us apart.

Daryl came to a sudden stop, and with me not paying attention, I ran straight into him. I fell on my butt with a girlie squeal. I leaned back on my arms, giving Daryl the best affronted look I could muster.

He grunted, "Ain't my fault ya ain't looking where ya going."

I raised a brow, "Well could you help me up?"

Daryl gave me another one of those half smiles, "Naw… You're good. Were gonna stop here fer now."

"Well in that case…" I started, before dramatically laying down.

Daryl just sat down beside me. He started rummaging through his bag, pulling out to sandwiches. He handed me one, silently eating his own. I couldn't eat much of the sandwich, my stomach used to such small portions from before. What I didn't finish, I offered back to Daryl, who finished it off quickly.

I looked at Daryl suspiciously, "Did you know I would come with you today?"

Daryl narrowed his eyes at me, "What ya say that for?"

"Two sandwiches? I know Shane is rationing the food."

Daryl looked at me for a minute, but never answered. Instead he pulled a blanket out of his pack and laid it out on the ground. Looking around I realized the sun was setting. I hadn't realized it had gotten so late.

"Here, you can take the blanket." Daryl told me.

I let out a short laugh, "Nope, I'm not moving. Any way you have pillows in that bag?"

Daryl just rolled his eyes at me. The longer I lay there, the more uncomfortable I got. There was a crick in my neck, and the ground I was lying on wasn't level. In fact, I think I as laying on a tree root. Trying to be as subtle as possible, I crawled closer to Daryl and rested my head on his stomach.

"What the hell ya think yer doin'? I thought ya said ya wasn't movin'."

I looked over to him, "I lied. Are you complaining?"

Daryl laid back down, muttering something about women, but not making a move to push me away. I grinned, impressed by my own forwardness. I fell asleep that night without a problem.

The next morning, I woke up way more comfortable than I remembered being when I fell asleep. As I opened my eyes and looked around, I found myself cuddled up to Daryl. To be specific, I was lying halfway on top of Daryl, with his arm curled around me.

Daryl seemed to still be asleep, so I started to carefully untangled myself from him. Daryl's eyes were open when I looked back at him. I was still leaning over him at that point, but his arm was no longer around my waist.

"Umm… Good morning." I whispered.

"Mornin'," Daryl mumbled.

When he didn't say anything else, I pulled away. It was then I heard a faint rustling in the trees. Looking up, I saw a squirrel leaping from tree to tree. Then I heard a snap, and the squirrel nearly fell in my lap. Eyes wide, I turned to Daryl.

"First catch of the day," Daryl stated.

I just shook my head, picking up the impaled squirrel, and tossing it to Daryl. We started out the day on a good note, and Daryl caught a slew of squirrels before we started heading back towards camp. We only talked when Daryl was showing me how to track.

Suddenly, Daryl motioned me to get down. Thinking that it was a walker, I was as quiet and still as possible. But it wasn't a walker that walked through the trees ahead of us, it was a doe. Daryl raised his bow as the deer came to a stop. The doe was alert and looking around. Daryl held his arm steady, and when he was ready, he shoot.

I couldn't see where the arrow had hit, but the deer took off running. Daryl didn't seem upset though. He nodded to himself and walked in the direction the deer ran.

"Did you get it?" I asked.

"Yeah. She's gotta fatal wound, but she's gonna have ta bleed out first." He stated, "Why don't you track 'er? It'll be good practice."

"Ok." I said nervously.

Hesitantly, I followed the trail. I could easily follow it for a ways, until the tracks ran out. Then I was stuck looking for blood. When I couldn't find the next splattering of blood, I stopped. Looking around I couldn't find a sign of the deer anymore.

I turned back to Daryl, "Ok, I'm stuck."

"Do you know how long you were able to follow that trail? Almost two hours." He said, pride in his voice.

I pursed my lips, "So… I did well?"

Daryl shook his head, "Ya did damn good."

Daryl took over from there, explaining that I needed to start looking for disturbed branches or under brush. I listened to his teachings with undivided attention. It was amazing, the way he could spot the smallest signs of disruption.

Eventually Daryl stopped talking, running out of tracking pointers. I started thinking about what would happen when Merle got back. I had enjoyed waking up with Daryl this morning, but I knew that Daryl and I wouldn't be getting that close again with Merle sharing the tent. Looking up, I realized I had fallen behind Daryl. I quickly ran to catch up.

"Hey Daryl?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Yeah?" he answered, not really paying attention.

"Do you think there is an extra tent? I think I want my own tent."

Daryl turned around at that, "What? Merle make ya uncomfortable?"

I laughed, "No. Merle doesn't bother me. I just… I want some privacy."

Daryl's face was unreadable, "Privacy… like with someone?"

The corners of my mouth lifted, "Yeah. I've got someone in mind, maybe."

Daryl turned around and stomped off at that. I was confused. Did that mean he wasn't interested? I shook my head; I knew Daryl was attracted to me. Maybe he thought I was talking about wanting someone else.

I started to call out to Daryl, but I was cut off by a scream. Daryl glanced back at me, and then ran forward. I was fast on his heels. We found the source of the scream in a clearing. I saw Shane and a few of the other men standing around the walker. Carl and Lori were also there.

The deer Daryl had shot was dead, and her neck was ripped open. Next to the deer was a decapitated walker. Daryl was livid, he let everyone know it. I didn't bother listening, but I had a feeling he was more upset by what I had said earlier than the deer.

I did hear him when he mentioned cutting around the damaged part. I rolled my eyes at that. The man standing by Shane caught my eye. I didn't recognize him. Sure I hadn't been there long, but I knew faces, and this one was new.

Daryl started walking towards camp, which I realized must be close, hollering for Merle. Looking around I saw T-Dog, so I assumed the group was back. My eyes narrowed on Shane when he started trying to get Daryl's attention. Both Shane and the new guy looked nervous.

Looking around, I noticed everyone had come out of their tents, and looked like they were waiting for a show. I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Something was very wrong. When the new guy, Rick, announced that Merle had been handcuffed to the roof and left for dead, all hell broke loose. Daryl's temper finally broke, and he took a swing at Rick.

I jumped forward to help and came face to face with Lori, "Get out of my way Lori. I don't want to hurt you." I growled.

Lori's eyes widened with fear, and she stepped away. I surged forward to help Daryl, who was trying to beat off both Shane and Rick at that point, but T-Dog grabbed my arm. I didn't give T-Dog the same warning I gave Lori. Instead I punched him right in the face, but his grip didn't loosen. The skinny guy, Jim, grabbed my punching arm.

I saw Daryl glance over at me, and his anger turned to rage. Daryl ripped his knife out of it's holster. I turned my attention back to the men holding me. I leaned back against their holds, then sent a practiced kick straight into Jim's face. Before I could do anything else, T-Dog used his weight to drag me to the ground and pin me down.

I struggled, but I was completely pinned. Looking up to Daryl again, I saw he was in a similar position. Shane had put him in a choke hold. I couldn't hear what Rick was saying, but I had heard enough. Merle had endangered the group, and Rick had done what he did to protect the group.

When T-Dog got up to confess his part in leaving Merle, I was able to wiggle free. Lori offered me a hand, but I ignored her. I jumped to my feet, and stomped over to Rick and Shane. Shane seemed to be enjoying himself a little too much.

I growled at Shane through gritted teeth, "Let him go, Shane. You've made your point."

Shane looked back at me, surprised by my anger, but let Daryl go. Daryl was walking back and forth, and I knew that if I didn't do something, Daryl was going to take a swing at someone again.

Looking to the man who had handcuffed Merle to the roof, I nearly spat at him, "So you're just going to leave him there?"

T-Dog spoke up, "I chained the door. Nothing could get past it."

"So just tell me where he is. I'll go get'em myself." Daryl said.

Lori spoke up at that, "He'll show you. Won't you?"

Lori stared down Rick, and I could see betrayal in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow, what had I missed? I watched as T-Dog volunteered to go back for Merle, and Rick asked Glenn to go back again. Daryl was still pacing, and he didn't look like he was going to calm down soon.

I stepped onto his path, "Daryl, I want to go."

Daryl kept his distance, but looked me in the eye, "No."

I stepped closer to him, "I want to help. Merle was my friend."

"No."

I scoffed, "Daryl come on. You know I could help."

Daryl brought his face so close to mine I could feel his breath, "You aren't coming. I'll bring ya back a new tent. While I'm gone, don't have no one in my fucking tent." Then he walked back to the tent.

Well now I understood why Daryl was mad at me. He HAD thought I was talking about someone else. I rolled my eyes. Why couldn't Daryl take a hint? I had practically been on top of him this morning, and he thought I was interested in someone else.

When Daryl came back out of the tent, he headed straight towards the van. Rick and the others who were going were already loaded up in the van. If I had learned anything since the apocalypse started, it was that you never knew which moment was your last.

So I gathered my courage and stepped in front of Daryl. He tried to walk past me, but wasn't going to have any of that. I stepped back in his way, and grabbed his shirt, pulling him close.

He started to talk, "Rose, yer not-"

"Shut up," I told him, "You are going to listen to me. That _someone_ I wanted privacy with was _you_. And if you weren't so thick headed-"

I was cut short when Daryl slid a hand behind my head and pulled me forward into a short hard kiss. When he pulled back, my mouth fell open in surprise. He stared intently at me for a second, then turned around and walked away without a word. He jumped up on the van and turned back to look at me.

All I could think as the van started to pull away was 'Damn'.

**Okay so Rose is getting very brave with Daryl. Hope ya'll liked it.**


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